The Stand-afterwards
by meribolst
Summary: Just a little addition to what i think life might have been like after the book finished. I just wrote this for fun, please don't be too hard on me. I will add to this later. Will the next generation have to confront Flagg (now Russell Faraday)? : )


The Stand: Afterwards  
  
"Home again, home again, jiggety jig"  
  
"We got department stores and toilet paper, got styrofoam boxes for the ozone layer. Got a man of the People, says, keep hope alive, got fuel to burn, got roads to drive. Keep on rockin' in the free world, keep on rockin' in the free world." –Neil Young  
  
Part I: Stu, Fran and Peter move to Maine  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Stu and Fran decided to move to Maine when the snow was melted, but before things started to grow. They knew that the roads would soon be covered with whatever plant life decided it wanted to grow there. Trees, grass, and flowers found their way into cracks in the roads easily. Stu thought of what Glen would say about it, and could see Glen going on about the problems of transportation in the years to come in the post-plague world.  
  
Stu lost any psychic/prophetic abilities he had been blessed with after Glen, Larry, and Ralph had made their final stand with Flagg in Las Vegas. He was relieved about that, he didn't know if he could take up a responsibility like that. Perhaps a time would come later.  
  
Stu had taken up to reading the Bible. In the Free Zone, they had started up a local church, but Stu passed up on the offer to go. He would find his God and the Christian way on his own, and in time, with his family. He knew churches could mean good for the community, but they could also have a way with people that was not always good-which was happening, in a way, with Flagg as the leader of a different sort of church in another continent away.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Flagg, who now went by the name of Russell Faraday, was glad he had washed up on the shores of this island, even though he had a mean case of amnesia. He knew he could use these people that inhabited the island; all he needed was the method in which to capture their minds and loyalty. He figured religion was a good route to take.  
  
"I've come to bring you Christianity, and you will all be saved! I'll teach you how pagans, homosexuality, cheatin' on your wife-but not beatin' on your wife-, and oh yes, the best three of 'em all, sex drugs, and rock and roll... Are SINS of the DEVIL! Halleluiah!!!" Flagg preached with a grinning, devilish glowing glee, both inside and out he was a mass of happy evil with a face no mother could love-of course he would make them all love him over time, he thought. He held up a black, cold stone and made it disappear, and turned it into a cross, and gave it to a gawking onlooker. He knew that they couldn't speak English, but hey, missionaries came to speak and teach English to folks all the time didn't they? He wasn't quite sure what a missionary was, since his memory wasn't all there yet. He would come to remember soon, he was sure of it. Blue sparks emanated from his fingers and he felt glad to be alive.  
  
That night mother pig and her five piglets became a meal. Faraday came upon them while on a stroll around the island. They were terrified with fear and died of aneurisms.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
They traveled to Maine in an SUV, and had a four wheeler in the back just in case. They strapped Peter in a baby seat, Fran and Stu taking turns between driving and entertaining him. Peek-a-boo was a favorite along with hearing Fran sing to him. Fran thought the town of Oakland Maine was a nice town, and that they could get a house on the lake. There was a library, as well as the two elementary schools, junior high, and high school with books they could use to teach their son Peter. In the city of Waterville, next to Oakland, there were two hospitals where they could get any supplies they needed if a medical emergency occurred. There was a family owned pharmacy and a Rite Aid in the middle of Oakland which would have antibiotics and pain killers. There was Colby College and Thomas College in Waterville which they hoped would have books on human biology and anything else they would want to know. There were enough hardware stores and car dealerships in the area to keep them supplied.  
  
As they entered Oakland there was a sign that stated "Welcome to Oakland, the heard of the Lakes Region" with a picture of a lake. Driving down Kennedy Memorial Drive into town was beautiful. The trees were lush and you could see the quaint town, previously populated at about 5,000, with its ranch and cape style houses clustered around the center. Roads branched out into more rural wooded areas which lead to Sidney, Augusta, and Belgrade.  
  
As they drove into town through Main Street, Fran thought, wouldn't it be nice to have a dog... They would find a dog, surely there would be more dogs if there was Kojak. Maybe things would be alright....  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Things in the Free Zone had become chaotic, and Stu wondered what Glen would have thought. Now that the good vs. evil thing had subsided from the majority of the Free Zone resident's minds, Stu wondered if little societies were going to start forming in other areas of the country, and if Glen's theories would become reality. Some people were already leaving there into various areas of the United States, some to Mexico, alone or in small groups. Stu liked the thought of being in Maine away from all of that- he knew not many would be traveling that far northeast. Some of the nastiness and prejudice of old society had started to show its face again. Tom Cullins loved playing with the kids. After awhile, a couple of the parents of those kids didn't like their kids playing with Tom, cause there was something wrong with him, and he might hurt them. Stu knew damn well this was bullshit, and he knew the parents knew Tom was about the gentlest person in the Free Zone. Frannie was nervous too, and felt bad for Tom as well as the kids who couldn't keep his company. Luckily, Tom was good natured and was happy to have the several adult and child friends that continued to keep his company.  
  
There was also talk about drugs and alcohol. And guns. Lots of people liked the thought of having at least one gun in the home for protection. Protection against what Stu didn't know. It's not like people were breaking in. There were a couple of love affairs here and there and domestic disturbances, but Stu didn't like the thought of so many guns being involved. Because people would want bigger and better guns, and you know where that leads to. All that stuff laying around for people to pick up.  
  
The Free Zone was getting big, and not everyone knew everyone there anymore- it was getting a little scary.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Fran felt a wave a nostalgia sweep through her body when she saw the big old yellow building that used to be the towns grange hall at the end of Main Street. No more baked bean suppers, or Rebecca's meetings. She felt sad; she knew that those were a thing of the past, and that the old buildings that held the spirits of those small towns would soon fall apart with no one to keep them up. Oakland was less touristy than Ogunquit, but it was no surprise to see out of state cars parked at some of the houses, Maine was, after all, Vacationland, and many out of staters came to visit relatives to take advantage of that.  
  
They found an older house, probably built in early 1900s. The white paint was faded, and it had black shutters. It was two stories, with a glass built in porch. It had a wood stove, they picked that house partly for that reason, partly because it reminded Fran a bit of the house she grew up in, although it wasn't quite as large or as kept up. Stu didn't know the least thing about working a wood stove being from Texas, but it came easy to Fran; she didn't grow up on wood heat, but many of her friends did. They picked up a generator at the local hardware store, in Maine generators were common; it wasn't uncommon to have a day or two without power during a bad winter. Fran and Stu took the two bodies that occupied the house and gave them what Fran thought would be a proper burial in the nearby cemetery. They did the same with the neighboring houses. This wasn't done out of respect as much as it was for keeping disease away. The smell was rancid and the level of decay gruesome, but it needed to be done. The made sure to wear masks, gloves, and gowns they obtained from the local hospital. The local hospital was largely empty, the remains of two families were found at the emergency entrance, but otherwise it was empty.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Stu, do you think after we have this baby...would that be all? I had never thought of having two children, or one for that matter. Now I wouldn't mind having a large family. Maybe three children would be nice." Fran said, patting her stomach. She was pregnant with Stu's child, and although Peter would be jealous at first, he would come to love his new brother or sister. "I reckon we could have another. And he, or she, would be great company for our little one here and the one to come." Stu said and smiled. He liked the thought of little ones. "We'll have to get medical books. And supplies. Complications do occur you know..."  
  
Stu said, "With a family, we are going to have to either raise some animals, or I'll have to do some huntin', although I don't know if I'd call it much of huntin' since the deer are ever'where. I'd say it's almost not fair to them, bein' easy pickens and all. Guess they'd starve in the winter though, almost be doin' em a favor. Yes, we could have a farm. Frannie, you could plant vegetables..Do you like that sort of thing?"  
  
"Yes! I love gardening..." she thought of her father..."My father loved gardening...I used to help him out all the time, I loved it. Oh Stu, this is going to be wonderful. Maybe things are going to be ok!" Frannie burst into tears of happiness.  
  
Stu didn't know if he agreed with her that everything would be ok, but he figured for now at least things were alright. He rubbed his hand on her back and smiled.  
  
"When the kids get older we'll have to go back so they can have other children to play with. And Stu, we can teach them. Teach them to not make the same mistakes."  
  
Frannie rested her head on her hands and thought for a moment. "We'll have to teach them about society. And manners, how to say please and thank you and be kind. All the good things from the old world. We teach them not to hate others, not to be prejudiced. We make sure that all the bad things from the old world are not picked up by our children and that they know why those things are bad. We have to make sure they do the right thing, and have morals. We can only hope that our children will pass those things on to the next generation."  
  
"You're going to make a great mother, Fran" Stu said and smiled.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Stu knew they would have a lot of planning to do. They would have to can vegetables, cure meats. It wouldn't be hard to get wood for the stove; there was plenty of wood stacked up around various houses, cut and ready to burn. They would have to get a truck with a plow, which wouldn't be hard to get either, but starting the thing would be another problem. The cars and vehicles were sitting for almost a year without being used, and that could take quite a toll on a vehicle. There were plenty of auto shops and supplies around, and Stu knew enough about fixing cars that it wouldn't be too much of a problem.  
  
When they explored the town, there were lots of cats around. None of them were tame though, and ran off at the sight of a person. When they got back to the house, Frannie swore she heard a dog bark but Stu wasn't quite sure of it. Stu thought it would be great to have a dog. What would they name it? It would be great to have Peter and his future brothers or sisters to grow up with a dog. Every kid should have the pleasure of having the companionship of a dog.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Fran was dreamless that night, at least she didn't remember any of her dreams. Stu had a strange dream he didn't quite understand. He saw a young man that reminded him of himself, a man with some of Fran's features, two twins who looked like younger versions of Larry, a man who looked a little like Nick but could also hear and talk, a man carrying a guitar, and three women, one who looked like Fran but with Stu's eyes and frame, a woman who could have passed as a relative of Ralph, and another woman. They were talking about a priest of some sort that wore a black hooded cape who went by the name of Russell Faraday. This Faraday had been gaining power in Mexico and southern United States. They seemed frightened and concerned. Then, Stu's dream shifted; Stu found himself in a field, and a crow with red eyes flew towards him and screeched. Stu woke up in a cold sweat, heart pounding.  
  
He didn't know what it all meant, but he didn't want to wake Fran and worry her. Was this a premonition of the future? Was this a warning of some sort, a vision, or just a dream? Lucy did have twins which could explain the two Larry's, although he didn't know that Ralph or Nick had fathered any children before they died, but that was still possible. It's not like he or Fran had paid attention to everyone's love affairs. Was the young man with the guitar Leo? And the other three, were they his and Fran's grown children? He could not tell if the other woman resembled anyone. Were these people somehow linked in the way that the Free Zone committee was, or was it an even stronger bond? Was Flagg still alive, or was this Russell Faraday someone different, and even more powerful? Stuart Redman remained sleepless that night.  
  
Part II:  
  
Chapter 9  
  
"They knew that they found freedom just across that Jersey line So they hopped into a stolen car took Highway 99"-Travelling Wilburys  
  
"Help me make the most Of freedom and of pleasure Nothing ever lasts forever Everybody wants to rule the world."-Tears for Fears  
  
He took a long, drawn, puff off his cigarette, leaning against his '87 gray Ford F-150. Mitch Layton, now in Virginia, had stayed the winter alone in Florida. He had traveled for a short time with a small group headed to Nebraska for protection and practicality, and then separated when they got out of New England to head to Florida. Why Florida? Because there would be plenty of supplies, food, and it would also be the farthest place from snow you could get. He found no survivors during his time there, partly because he wanted it that way, and partly because most of them had started their journey to Nebraska or LA already.  
  
Mitch was wearing Levi's with a plain brown belt and a tucked in button up shirt. He was a handsome man with a nice smile. He could pass for an actor or singer. He could charm any lady, drunk at the bar or sober. He never sustained any relationships with them, too much trouble. They would nag, nag, nag, and then he would have to teach them a lesson, oh, and then they would go to those damned women's shelters crying abuse.  
  
He had the same dreams the other survivors had been afflicted with, but he chose not to heed to any of them. It's best not to be involved in something like that if you want to stay alive, especially with all these traumatized, now religious fanatics running the show. The black old woman he knew had died, but this bastard in the jean jacket and boots was alive and kicking. This freak show devil, or whatever he is, Mitch just didn't know, had become angry in the dreams. He supposed it was because he chose to go it alone, and that could be dangerous. Mitch didn't want to be someone's lackey, good or bad. He did, however, wonder if he could use this man, he couldn't quite get his name, Russell Faraday or Flagg were two that came to mind, to gain some power. If the guy's only method is sending cryptic messages through dreams to recruit people, he can't be the all powerful being he makes himself out to be.  
  
Mitch was a man of above average intelligence in the area of influencing others, leading, getting things done; he was also a killer with no remorse. He had killed two people in his life, and with precision and practicality that showed no empathy. Both killings prevented potential long jail terms. He knew he could go to jail longer for carrying coke than for killing someone in this day and age, he found this both bizarre and interesting. Yes indeed, it was for self-preservation, and that was what Mitch was all about.  
  
Because of his constant, relentless survival mode, the fact that he had survived the super-flu did not surprise Mitch the least bit. This new America was just another place to continue his self-preservation and survival. For Mitch, being the most powerful man would mean total self- preservation. He knew finding his place in this role of power would come through the man with no face. 


End file.
